One person was injured after part of a historic building collapsed in the Eastern Market early Saturday, disrupting the morning market scene with chaos and debris.
Located at Russell and Winder Streets, the building houses Jabs Gym and Beyond Juicery and Eatery. Built in 1897, the brick building is located at 2501 Russell Street.
Chief James Harris, a spokesman for the Detroit Fire Department, said the collapse damaged the third and fourth floors on the south side of the building. Detroit Fire Department paramedics transported the injured pedestrian to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
While the building remained standing, part of the exterior wall fell during the collapse, leaving the interior of the building’s upper floor exposed from the street view. Debris, including metal and brick, fell amid the collapse, with debris left on the nearby sidewalk and street, damaging a few cars parked nearby.
Detroit Police Department vehicles and Detroit Fire Department trucks were in the area surrounding the building Saturday afternoon, as well as a helicopter overhead.
Tiffany Walker, 46, a Detroit resident, said she witnessed the incident while shopping at Eastern Market on Saturday morning.
“People were running away from the area because it was loud, and it sounded like two cars crashing into each other. People were running out of the building as well,” Walker said.
Walker said she often comes to Eastern Market on weekends to shop, and this morning she noticed the market scene disrupted by the chaos caused by the incident.
“Everyone was upset. Some people here were crying and the owners of Jabs (Jim) were so upset. One person couldn’t even talk,” Walker said.
Officials closed the road in the affected area, on Russell Street between East Fisher Service Drive and Adelaide Street and part of Winder Street near the building. Closed road signs and yellow police tape closed the area from public access.
Meanwhile, operations continued throughout the rest of Eastern Market, filling the area with the usual smells and sounds of a Saturday afternoon. Vehicular traffic was steadily passing through the area, with a constant stream of cars accompanied by bicycles, trucks and scooters. Nearby businesses and food trucks remained open, with the smell of cooking food and the sounds of music wafting through the area.
The site of the building collapse remains closed to the public amid the investigation into the incident.
The Detroit Fire Department continues to investigate the cause of the accident and assess damage from the partial collapse.